A book in every house
The Divan of Hafez is a gathering of his ghazals, assembled after his death. In many Iranian homes it sits beside the Quran, and it is opened on Yalda night and at Nowruz for a fal, a reading of fortune.
Books to look at as well as read
For centuries the poems were copied by hand in elegant script, with gilded borders and small paintings of gardens, lovers and wine cups. The pages here show two such manuscripts. A good modern edition keeps that spirit, with the Persian text, an English translation, and reproductions of old miniatures.
In the Bazaar
The Bazaar is the place to find bilingual editions for children and parents learning together, and to ask others which translation they love. Learn about the script on the nastaliq page and about the poet at his tomb in Shiraz.
